Live Unlimited for MDA

“In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Barbara Coatsworth can be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“Barbara was a proud and dedicated member of the MDA team for 22 years and the contributions in her memory will assist the Association’s various service programs for children and adults affected by muscle diseases. We know that Barbara would be grateful.”

That was the fine print at the bottom of my mother‘s obituary. Sure, she liked flowers as much as the next person, but a good portion of her adult life had been spent working with the families at MDA, and she happened to like them a lot more. Donations felt like the thing to do.

Needless to say, when the opportunity came to write about MDA and their new #LiveUnlimited campaign, I took it. It felt like the thing to do, too.

Living one’s life unlimited can mean different things to different people, but it isn’t the what that matters so much as the passion that drives it. The passion is what makes people push themselves, rise to the moment and surpass the expectations of everyone, with the possible exception of themselves. To live unlimited is to live to the fullest, and in doing so inspiring those that have the good fortune to bear witness to it. It’s a thing of wonder, gratitude and deep, great beauty.

My mom had that, and I am better for it. I can only hope that I am doing right by my own children, setting an example that they will take into their own lives, but the truth is, they have it now, and they inspire me daily.

Life is funny like that.

And it’s for living unlimited.

Need a bit more inspiration? Meet Davion Bartlett:

Purchase your own #LiveUnlimited Endorphin Warrior bracelet and $6 of each sale goes to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It’s the thing to do.

Learn more:

• On Facebook: /MDANational and /EndorphinWarrior
• On Twitter: @MDANews and @EndorphnWarrior (note: there is no “i” in Endorphin on Twitter)
• On Instagram: @mda_usa and @EndorphinWarrior

Whit Honea is the co-founder of Dads 4 Change, the Social Media Director and Community Manager of Dad 2.0 Summit as well as a Senior Account Executive at the conference’s parent company: XY Media Group. Deemed “the activist dad” by UpWorthy (and one of the “funniest dads on Twitter” by Mashable), he is a regular contributor to The Modern Dads Podcast and the author of The Parents’ Phrase Book—a family guide to empathy.